John

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

1There was a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee and one of the Jewish leaders.

2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know God sent you to teach us. Nobody could do the miracles you do unless God were with him."

3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

3Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: nobody can see God's kingdom unless they are born again."

Note"Born again" translates a Greek word that means both "again" and "from above." Jesus means both. Nicodemus hears only the first, which is why his next question is about going back inside his mother.

4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

4Nicodemus said, "How can a grown man be born? He cannot go back inside his mother and be born a second time."

5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

5Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: nobody can enter God's kingdom unless they are born of water and of the Spirit.

6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

6What is born from a human body is human. What is born from the Spirit is spirit.

7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

7Do not be surprised that I said you must be born again.

8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

8The wind blows wherever it wants. You hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it came from or where it is going. That is how it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

9Nicodemus asked, "How can that happen?"

10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

10Jesus answered, "You are a teacher of Israel, and you do not understand this?

11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

11I am telling you the truth: we talk about what we know, and we describe what we have seen, and you will not accept what we say.

12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

12I have told you about things on earth and you do not believe me. So how will you believe me if I tell you about things in heaven?

13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

13Nobody has ever gone up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man.

14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

14Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man has to be lifted up,

NoteThis points back to Numbers 21, where Israel was dying of snakebite and Moses put a bronze snake on a pole. Anyone who looked at it lived.

15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

15so that everyone who trusts him will have life that lasts forever.

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

16God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who trusts him will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.

NoteThe King James says "his only begotten Son." "Begotten" is an old word meaning fathered or born of, so the sense is "his one and only Son."

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

17God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty. He sent him so that the world could be rescued through him.

18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

18Anyone who trusts him is not judged guilty. Anyone who refuses to trust him has been judged already, because they would not trust the name of God's only Son.

19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

19Here is what the judgment comes down to: the light came into the world, and people loved the dark more than the light, because what they were doing was wrong.

20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

20Everyone who does wrong hates the light and stays away from it, so that nobody can see what they are doing.

21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it is clear their actions were done through God.

22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

22After this, Jesus and his followers went into the countryside of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized people.

23And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

23John was baptizing too, at a place called Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there, and people kept coming to be baptized.

24For John was not yet cast into prison.

24This was before John was put in prison.

25Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.

25Then some of John's followers got into an argument with a Jewish man about washing to become clean.

26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

26They came to John and said, "Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the one you told us about, is baptizing now. Everyone is going to him."

27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

27John answered, "A person cannot receive anything unless God gives it to him.

28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

28You heard me say it yourselves: I am not the Christ. I was sent ahead of him.

29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

29The bride belongs to the groom. The groom's friend stands with him and listens, and he is full of joy when he hears the groom's voice. That is my joy, and it is complete now.

30He must increase, but I must decrease.

30He has to become greater. I have to become less.

31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

31The one who comes from above is above everything. Anyone who belongs to the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above everything.

32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

32He describes what he has seen and heard, and nobody accepts what he says.

33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

33Anyone who does accept it has confirmed that God tells the truth.

34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

34The one God sent speaks God's own words, because God gives him the Spirit without limit.

35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

35The Father loves the Son and has put everything into his hands.

36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

36Anyone who trusts the Son has life that lasts forever. Anyone who refuses to obey the Son will not see that life, and God's anger stays on him.

NoteThe King James has "he that believeth not," but the Greek word here is stronger than not believing. It means refusing to be persuaded, so this verse is about turning something down rather than failing to understand it.